ADDIE model

The ADDIE model is a framework that instructional designers and content developers use to design instructional course materials and educational training programs. The term ADDIE is an acronym that stands for the framework's five unique phases: analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation. Each of these phases represents a critical component of the content development process. In practice, the ADDIE model provides a flexible guideline for creating effective training and performance support tools. Although each step in the ADDIE model has an outcome that feeds directly into the subsequent step, the specific sequence of steps is not necessarily linear. As a result, the ADDIE model offers a degree of flexibility that makes it ideal for a range of potential applications. Over the years since it first emerged in the 1970s, the ADDIE model has become one of the most widely used instructional content development frameworks of its kind.

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Background

The ADDIE model is one of many extant instructional design models. Instructional design models allow instructional designers to visualize abstract learning theories and make use of such theories in various real-world applications. In essence, instructional design models provide a meaningful structure through which developers can address a given instructional design problem. In addition to the ADDIE model, some examples of common instructional design models include the Successive Approximation Model (SAM) model, action mapping, Merrill's First Principles of Instruction, Gagné's Nine Events of Instruction, and Bloom's taxonomy.

While the idea of instructional design dates back to the 1950s, the ADDIE model was first developed in the 1970s. Experts at Florida State University's Center for Educational Technology developed the ADDIE model for the US Army around 1975. The original version of the ADDIE model was based on the Five Step Approach, an earlier instructional design model developed by the US Air Force. After it proved to be a success, the ADDIE model was adopted by all branches of the US Armed Forces before eventually coming to enjoy widespread use throughout the private sector. In the years that followed, the ADDIE model was revised and updated on several occasions. These updates gradually made ADDIE more dynamic and interactive. The first iteration of the modern ADDIE model was developed in the mid-1980s. Many of the subsequent instructional design models developed since then were derived from or at least based on the ADDIE model. In this sense, ADDIE can be viewed as an umbrella term for a whole family of instructional design models.

The ADDIE model has some advantages and disadvantages over other instructional design models. The biggest advantage is its flexibility. The ADDIE model can be used in connection with both traditional and individualized forms of instruction. ADDIE's phases can be modified to fit specific user needs and can be used in conjunction with other models as necessary. The biggest disadvantage of the ADDIE model is that it is a linear model for instructional system design and can be less efficient in terms of both cost and time than some newer approaches to instructional design.

Overview

The analysis phase is the first stage of the ADDIE model. In the analysis phase, the designer identifies the intended audience and establishes instructional goals and objectives. Identifying the audience means deciding who the final instructional product is meant for and determining that group's existing knowledge and skills. Establishing instructional goals and objectives means determining what the product in question is meant to achieve, what learning constraints exist, what potential delivery options are available, and when the product needs to be completed. In effect, the designer spends most of the analysis phase analyzing the audience, including what the audience should know going into a course and after taking the course.

The second stage of the ADDIE model is the design phase. In this phase, the designer's primary purpose is to develop the blueprint for the instructional material they are creating. This involves producing the structure and content of the instructional materials, developing assessment methods, and determining what resources and activities will be required to meet learning objectives. During the design phase, the designer documents their strategy, applies those strategies to the intended instructional outcome, creates storyboards, designs the user experience, develops a prototype, and applies visual design.

The next stage of the ADDIE model is the development phase. This phase focuses on turning the plans from the previous stage into tangible real-world content. In this phase, designers create and test their product to determine how well it engages the audience and meets the stated learning objectives. Designers must decide whether the product fulfills its purpose and make any changes that might be needed.

The development phase is followed by the implementation phase. This phase is about preparing the product for use in the classroom. As part of the implementation process, designers develop procedures for training the facilitators and participants who will use the product. Designers also make sure that all the necessary resources that accompany the product—including books, equipment, software, and so on—are in place and ready for use. Final testing to determine whether the product functions as intended is undertaken during this phase. If any issues arise during this testing, they are analyzed and fixed before the final product is released.

The last stage of the ADDIE model is the evaluation phase. Once the product is released and used in actual classroom settings, designers seek feedback to determine how well the product performs in the field. During the evaluation phase, designers conduct an assessment aimed at determining what the targeted audience thinks of the product, whether the product met its intended goals, whether the learning process played out as expected, and what the long-term benefits of the product appear to be. Through this assessment, designers can identify any problems with the product and make any adjustments that may be necessary to improve it. The review carried out in this phase includes two types of evaluation. The first type revolves around assessing the reactions of people who use the product. The second focuses on an assessment of the product's instructional performance in terms of content retention, application, and institutionalization.

Bibliography

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"ADDIE Model." InstructionalDesign.org, www.instructionaldesign.org/models/addie.html. Accessed 20 Feb. 2018.

"The ADDIE Model of Instructional Design Fact Sheet." US Department of Justice, cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/training/ADDIE‗Fact‗Sheet.pdf. Accessed 8 Aug. 2024.

Feng, Xiaoxiao. "ADDIE Model." Bayh College of Education, Indiana State University, www.indstate.edu/education/iits/addie-model. Accessed 8 Aug. 2024.

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Treser, Michael. "Getting to Know ADDIE: Part I – Analysis." eLearning Industry, 16 Aug. 2015, elearningindustry.com/getting-know-addie-analysis. Accessed 20 Feb. 2018.